PLAINVIEW, Texas – Despite suffering a 3-1 setback to Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) earlier in the evening, the Mid-America Christian volleyball team battled back later in the night to sweep Wayland Baptist (Texas) 3-0 to pick up the program's first ever win over the Pioneers in program history to open Sooner Athletic Conference play.
Since their first meeting in 2004, Wayland Baptist had always had MACU's number, winning the first 27 matchups in the series. However, the Evangels were poised and ready for the Pioneers under first year head coach Kevin Fitzgibbon as MACU dominated the match from start to finish.
"The girls deserve all the credit," said Fitzgibbon. "We overcame some adversity before and during the games. I am very proud of them."
Mid-America Christian's attack was extremely effective, hitting for a .325 attack percentage, just two points back of its season-best .327 that the Evangels hit in their three-set sweep over Paul Quinn two weeks ago.
Junior outside hitter Hannah Focker recorded 16 kills, her career-high for a three-set match while senior setter Alexa Bass finished just a dig shy of a triple-double with 27 assists, 10 kills and nine digs.
In the first set against Wayland Baptist, neither the Evangels nor the Pioneers held more than a two-point lead when MACU started to take control midway through. Trailing 15-13, the Evangels rattled off three straight to capture a 16-15 lead.
After the Pioneers tied it up, Focker ignited a 5-1 run with a trio of kills to give Mid-America Christian its largest lead of the set at 21-17.
Wayland Baptist managed to close the gap to 21-20 with three straight points, but the Evangels ended the set with a strong 4-1 run, capped off on a kill by senior outside hitter Elena Hadzhieva to close out the 25-21 win.
The Pioneers gained the early momentum in set two, jumping out to a 13-9 advantage midway through. However, MACU once again found its stride with its back against the wall, rattling off six unanswered points to capture a 15-13 edge.
WBU scored three of the next four points to lock the set up at 16-all, but the Evangels strung together a 4-0 run that included kills from Focker, Hadzhieva and Dianne Walter as well as an Alexa Bass service ace to make it 20-16.
Wayland Baptist was able to chip the Evangel lead down to two at 20-18, but MACU closed out the set with a 5-1 run for the 25-19 set two win and put the Pioneers against the ropes.
The third and final set was dominated from start to finish by Mid-America Christian as the Evangels never trailed. MACU scored the first three points before Wayland responded with four of the next six to close the gap to 5-4. That one-point deficit would be the closest the Pioneers would get as MACU pulled away to win by a score of 25-17.
The Evangels limited the WBU to just a .144 attack percentage as junior libero Maegan Plunk led the defensive charge with 18 digs.
In the early match against Our Lady of the Lake (5-1), Mid-America Christian was able to get the early momentum, taking the opening set 26-24. The Evangels limited the Saints to just a .054 attack percentage in the opening set, but that would be the best MACU would fare against the OLLU attack.
The Saints hit .215 or better in the final three sets while the Evangels struggled to find an offensive rhythm as OLLU won the final three sets by scores of 25-15, 25-17, 25-18.
Focker once again led the MACU attack with 14 kills while Bass again finished just a dig shy of a triple-double with 20 assists, 10 kills and nine digs. Plunk led the defensive efforts with 16 digs.
Mid-America Christian will seek its first ever 2-0 start to SAC play as the Evangels will travel to Goodwell, Okla. on Saturday to take on Oklahoma Panhandle State for a 1 p.m. match
